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A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 



. A GUIDE TO THE MUSEUM 
OF THE 

POCUMTUCK VALLEY 

MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. 



By GEORGE SHELDON. 

WITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

FRANCES S. AND MARY E. ALLEN. 




DEERFIELD, 1908. 






Copyrighl, 1908 
By GEORGE SHELDON 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Frontisyiece 
9 
10 
12 
14 
17 
19 
20 
21 
22 



OF Deer 



Memorial Hall, from the Southwest 

Millstone Exhibit .... 

PocuMTUCK Cannon .... 

Old Indian House Door 

Relics from an Indian Grave 

West Wall and Table of Pitted Stones 

Fireplace 

Evolution of the Spice Mill 

Light of Other Days 

Dresser with Pewter 

Tablet Commemorating the Desolation 

FIELD, 1704 

Other Mural Tablets 

Stephen Williams, One of the Captives 

Evolution of Linen Cloth 

Unique Fl.\x Wheel .... 

Autograph of John Williams, 1713 

Leaf from an Orderly Book, Washington's An 

nouncement of the Treason of Arnold . 

Revolutionary Group 

Rare China 

Bonnets and Bandboxes 

English Bridal Chest, about 1600 

Buffet from the House of Parson John Williams 

Chest from Scotl.\nd, 1675 . . . . . 



OF 1704 



24 
25 
26 
28 
29 
31 

33 
35 
40 

42 
43 
44 
46 



[3] 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Hand-wrought, Black Lace Veil . . . .49 

The Bed Room 51 

Unique Chest and Drawers 52 

Fire Frame 54 

Jacobean Cabinet 55 

Draft Cylinder Used in the Rebellion . . 56 

Bottle Made from the Palisade of 1704 . . 58 



[4] 



A GUIDE TO 

MEMORIAL HALL 

This Quide is not a Catalogue. Its aim 
is to call the attention of the visitor to some 
of the more important and interesting his- 
toric articles; many of these are described 
and illustrated. First of all is Memorial Hall 
itself, the building in which our treasures are 
kept. This is an historic edifice and it seems 
fitting that a brief history of it should here 
be given. It was built in 1797-98 for the 
Dee'rfield Academy. The charter for that 
institution was signed by Gov. Samuel Adams, 
March 21, 1797. The' corporators were Esq. 
John WilKams, Maj. Seth Catlin, Col. Joseph 
Stebbins, and Lieut. Joseph Barnard. The 
first officers under the corporation were: Presi- 
dent, Rev. Roger Newton, of Greenfield; Vice- 
President, Rev. John Taylor: Treasurer, Dea. 
Jonathan Arms; Secretary, Dr. William Stod- 
dard Williams, all of Deerfield. 

This building stands upon an acre of land 
which was part of the homestead owned by 
Godfrey Nims, in 1692. In June, 1797, the 
corporation voted to erect a two-story brick 
building:, 60x28 feet. The bricks were made 

[5] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

from clay and sand found on the same home 
lot. The expense was met by a subscription 
among the citizens of Deerfield. A permanent 
fund was also begun at the same time and in 
the same way. To increase this fund, the 
Legislature of Massachusetts, in 1798, granted 
the trustees half of a township of land in the 
District of Maine. 

The school was opened with great eclat and 
ceremony, January 1, 1799. It was among 
the earliest academies of New England, and 
was for years the leading educational center 
of western Massachusetts. It contained at an 
early date a museum, a good library, and in 
its laboratory was a fine collection of philo- 
sophical apparatus. The first preceptor was 
Enos Bronson, Yale, 1798. The attendance 
for the first year was 269 boys and girls, 68 of 
whom were from Deerfield, and 201 from the 
well-to-do families in the region ranging from 
Springfield, Vermont, on the north, to Spring- 
field, Massachusetts, on the south; and from 
Royalston on the east, to Albany, New York, 
on the west. The school prospered, so that 
in 1809 it was found necessary to enlarge the 
building and a wing 30x30 feet was added, 
and the whole made three stories in height, 
more than doubling its capacity. It then be- 
came a boarding school. At first the pre- 
ceptors were generally graduates of Harvard 
or Yale. Later they were usually taken from 
its own alumni. Among these, one was Ed- 

[6] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

ward Hitchcock. Of all the distinguished 
men and women connected with this school, 
and these were many, — scientists, jurists, di- 
vines, authors, soldiers, statesmen, artists,^ 
none was more noted than Hitchcock. Born 
in 1793, the son of a Deerfield farmer, his 
whole academic education was obtained dur- 
ing six winter terms in the new school, mean- 
while working for nine months of the year on 
the farm. He was the preceptor, 1814-19. In 
1825 he was called to a professor's chair at 
Amherst College, and to the presidency in 
1845. He became the recipient of high honors 
from Harvard and Yale, with a world-wide 
fame as a man of science, although a graduate 
of no other institution than Deerfield Acadeniy. 

The corporation now owning this building 
is the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Associa- 
tion, chartered by the General Court in 1870 
and organized May 26 of the same year. 

The object of this Association, as declared 
in the charter, was the ''collecting and pre- 
serving of such memorials, books, papers, and 
rehcs as would illustrate and perpetuate the 
history of the early settlers, and of the race 
which vanished before them." To that end 
much original matter has been published, and 
many thousand articles have been gathered. 

The Dedication. — This building was dedi- 
cated to its present use, September 8, 1880, 
when a large assembly was gathered on the 
OTOunds. Addresses were made bv men of 

[7] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

State and National reputation, among them 
George William Curtis, Charles Eliot Norton, 
and Charles Dudley Warner, and original 
poems were contributed by George B. Bart- 
lett, of Concord, and Cornelia Allen Smith, of 
Philadelphia. 

Thenceforth our collection rapidly in- 
creased by gifts from an appreciative public. 
Old erarrets were ransacked, dust-laden chests 
gave up their long forgotten things; upper 
shelves revealed queer treasures, unknown 
even to the owners. A certain horse and 
wagon became a familiar sight in the country 
round about, and the driver was allowed to 
forage at will by the long-suffering house- 
wives. They now come here by scores, and 
their hearts are gladdened to see their ''old 
duds" honored and safely housed. It should 
be added that in consequence of our action 
many thousands of articles are here and else- 
where preserved, which would otherwise have 
been destroyed. This fact is fully realized and 
often proclaimed by a thankful public. 

Before entering the building it will be well 
to linger awhile on its threshold. Here are 
two "relics": one of the ''Early Settlers," and 
one of the "Race which vanished before them," 
— to quote from our constitution — which show 
a fundamental difference between the races. 
The principal cereal of each was Indian corn; 
one mode of preparing it marks civilization, 
the other savagery, and both are here seen 

[8] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

in this Millstone exhibit. On the left is the 
first of its kind set revolving by water power 
in the valley of the- Pocumtuck; from its 
whirling edge a golden stream poured forth 





PH 






^^MtfSfil^BH^^Hi^l^^^^^^^^^^^H 



MILLSTONE EXHIBIT 



abundantly at the touch of the miller's lever. 
On the right hand, in sharp contrast, stands 
the primitive Mortar, in which a scant portion 
of corn was slowly crushed and pounded by 
the pestle of the patient squaw. 



[9] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 



OLD DEERFIELD 
CANNON 



THE VESTIBULE 

Here the visitor is expected 
to register. Over the right el- 
bow as he sits at the desk is 
the prototype of the gas brack- 
et and the German student 
lamp, a unique contrivance 
made by a gunsmith in Deer- 
fiekl about 1750, and used on 
his shop bench for evening 
work. At the left hand stands 
a good specimen of the tall 
Hall Clock made long ago by a 
Willard in Boston, and for gen- 
erations regulating affairs in 
the family of a collateral de- 
scendant, Samuel Willard, the 
fourth minister of Deerfield. 
Beyond that is the old Po- 
cumtuck Cannon, renowned in 
the annals of the town. It was 
here before 1748. Above this 
hangs an Aegis or allegorical 
painting, which formerly hung 
in the dancing hall of the old 
Nims Tavern. Over a door on 
the right of the entrance is the 
head of a Rocky Mountain 
Sheep of remarkable size, which 
was picked up by a Deerfield 
[10] 



INDIAN ROOM 

boy in the Bad Lands of Montana. Under 
this we enter the 

INDIAN ROOM 

Here are thousands of articles connected 
with Indian history, or used by the aborigines 
as weapons of war or the chase, implements 
employed in agriculture, manufacture, or in 
the domestic arts; badges of authority, orna- 
ments, etc. 

The strongest magnet in this room is the 
old ''Indian House Door." Here, Indian and 
English history unite. On its gashed face may 
be read an epitome of the bloody wars of Eng- 
land and France, — religious wars, and wars 
of conquest, projected into the New World 
Colonies. In all New England there is not 
preserved in any historical collection to-day 
any single relic that can compare with this 
old battered Door. There is nothing so 
realistic, nothing that brings us in such close 
touch with the horrors of Indian warfare, 
which terrorized and desolated the English 
settlements, as this old tale-telling, hatchet- 
hewn Door. It tells how it stood stubbornly 
defying the ferocious savage and defending 
those within from captivity or murderous 
slaughter. The evidence of this is certified to 
by the cuts of the Indian axes upon it, made 
on the night of February 29, 1704, when this 
town was assaulted by 350 French and Indians 

[11] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




OLD INDIAN HOUSE DOOR 



[12] 



INDIAN ROOM 

from Canada under Sieur de Rouville, a scion 
of the French nobihty. An engraving of the 
leader hangs beside this exhibition of his work. 
Look upon his portrait and then upon his 
work, and a queer feehng of surprise comes 
over you. On one hand the face of a high-bred 
young man in the rich costume of the Court 
of France, with the kindly face of woman, 
every feature peaceful and serene; on the 
other hand, the bruised and wounded face of 
the heroic door with the marks of the bloody 
demoniac horde which this man had led three 
hundred miles through the wilderness that they 
might surprise, break through, and butcher 
those under its protecting shelter. Here is seen 
a contrast hard to reconcile with the facts. 

The Oak Chest hard by, could it speak, 
might tell of the fearful scenes of that night of 
horrors. It was no doubt taken from the 
burning house of David Hoyt by some savage 
eager for pillage, and so escaped the devour- 
ing flames. A companion for the Chest is 
now seen on a shelf in the southeast corner. 
It is all that remains of a six-pail Brass Kettle 
that was in the same house with the Chest. 
The Kettle was filled with wort, and was 
melted down as fast as the liquid was evapo- 
rated. The bottom was later converted into a 
culinary vessel. The Kettle's story has been 
translated by one who entitled it ''Sounding 
Brass," and it has now a permanent place in 
Vol. I of our "Proceedings." 
[13] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




[14] 



INDIAN ROOM 

Near the Chest is a case containing reHcs 
from an Indian grave on the Sheldon home lot. 
A piece of Pottery which is one of a few found 
unbroken in New England, a small amount 
of the true Wampum, a large number and 
variety of Glass Beads, and some ornaments 
of Shell. To the east is a long case contain- 
ing the collection of Jonathan Johnson, a 
pioneer in this work and in this Association, 
where can be seen a general assortment of 
Indian fabrications. In a frame on the wall 
beyond is shown the handiwork of the late 
James Smith, of Whately, an ingenious mem- 
ber of our body, who could outdo the natives 
in their own field, on a trial of skill in fashion- 
ing Arrow Points. 

In a case near the entrance, made to shelter 
the Old Door before it came to our hands, 
hangs the coarse home-made Linen Shirt worn 
by Samuel Allen, when killed by Indians at 
the Bars in 1746, — a bloody memorial of the 
times that tried the souls of our fathers and 
mothers. Lying on Case B is a Gun in a far- 
gone condition of decay. Generations ago it 
was found on the field of the Turners Falls 
Fight of 1676. This is doubtless a memento 
of that event, covered and preserved by the 
drifting sand. 

Lying near by is what remains of a small 

Red Shoe. It tells a thrilling tale of little 

Sarah Coleman. When four years old she 

was torn from her home in Hatfield, and 

[15] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

carried with others to Canada — the first 
captives from New England to take this sad 
journey. Redeemed the next year, she came 
home on foot, via Lake Champlain and 
Albany. This is one of the shoes in which 
she walked these hundreds of miles through 
the wilderness. 

A table at the left of the entrance is covered 
with stones bearing artificial marks, but of 
unknown use or history. It has been gen- 
erally supposed they were connected with the 
Indians, but no trace of such connection has 
yet been discovered. Probably they belonged 
to some prehistoric race. They are found 
only in limited areas, loosely defined, and not 
at random as are common Indian belongings. 
In size they vary from 3 ounces to 63 J pounds. 
We name them ''Pitted Stones," from the 
indentations on either side by which they are 
characterized. The number of pits vary from 
one to fifty. 

On the wall near by is an original Deed, 
from Chauk (Chaqve), Sachem of Pocum- 
tuck, and the photograph of another, given by 
Mashshalisk, an Indian woman. It is very 
commonly said and believed, that the English 
settlers stole the land they occupied from the 
simple Indians. Here we see absolute proof 
that the soil which we have inherited was 
bought from those whom they found in posses- 
sion. An examination shows that it was not 
''bought for a song," but at a rate equal to the 
M ^y^ [16] 



INDIAN ROOM 




[17] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

cash price current amongst the English at 
that date. The proof is in four deeds, " signed, 
sealed and delivered" in 1666, 1667, 1672. 

On the wall are, also, under glass. Manu- 
script Letters and Military Papers testifying 
of King William's and Queen Anne's Wars, 
1692-1713, and a Letter from a captive of 
February 29, 1704. To the right are Me- 
mentos from the battlefield of Little Big 
Horn, the scene of the Custer slaughter. 
These were given by William O. Taylor, one 
of Custer's troopers, who picked them up the 
morning after the fight. They are forceful 
reminders that civilization and savagery are 
still at deadly odds. 

Across the vestibule is the 



KITCHEN 

Here is another atmosphere, and another 
phase of early life confronts the visitor. With 
slight imagination the olfactories are regaled 
with the odors of savory viands, roasting, boil- 
ing, frying, in and about the great Fireplace, 
with the Back Log and the Forestick, on the 
Goose-neck Andirons. Here is the Gridiron, 
the Frying-pan, Spider, Skillet, and all the 
appliances for old-time cooking. In Case A 
is shown the evolution of the Spice Mill, the 
Molds for casting Pewter Spoons, the Steel 
Forks and the Knives with the swelling end 
for conveying food to the mouth, used until it 
[18] 



KITCHEN 




[19] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

became a deadly social sin so to do, and 
society was put in training until it could eat 
peas with chop sticks, or an equivalent. Here 
is the Bread-trough, Knot-bowl, Mortar and 
Pestle; the Dash Churn; and all things needful 
for makino: Candles. The Turn-up Bed, the 



progenitor of all modern 



folding 



beds, the 




EVOLUTION OF THE SPICE MILL 



Foot Stove and Warming-pan, the Candle- 
stick, the Tinder Boxes, for striking fire, 
the Betty Lamp, are all old and full of in- 
terest. Here may be studied the evolution of 
the Lamp. On the north wall is the generous 
Dresser, loaded with old-time household Pew- 
ter; on its top is a set of official Measures 
furnished Town Sealers by the Colony. To 
the right in the illustration is seen the small 
[20] 



KITCHEN 




TINDER BOX AND BETTY LAMP 



[21] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




[22] 



MEMORIAL ROOM 

iron Kettle ^Yhich was used in the family of 
''The Redeemed Captive." Apparatus for 
making cheese is in the little annex behind the 
fire-proof door. The Settles, where one can 
sit and see all these and a hundred other 
things, are more than a century old. 

Up one flight from the Vestibule is the 

MEMORIAL ROOM 

Facing the stairs are the Mural Tablets, 
commemorating the killed and captured, in 
the assault bv the French and Indians on 
Deerfield, February 29, 1704, with references 
to some of those who remained in Canadian 
captivity. Larger tablets opposite, commem- 
orate individuals, mostly early settlers of the 
town, and were placed there by their descend- 
ants, among whom are Vice-President Levi P. 
Morton, and Marshall Field. 

Here are gathered portraits and personal 
memorials of men and women, which their 
descendants have been wise enough to place 
in our care. Notable among these are por- 
traits of Stephen Williams, son of the ''Re- 
deemed Captive;" of Elijah Arms, who died 
in 1802, and his wife, whom he married m 
1774, artist and date unknown; of President 
Edward Hitchcock; of Col. Elihu Hoyt, born 
and for sixty-two years an inmate of the 
Old Indian House which he guarded with 
constant care; Ephraim Williams, father of 
[23] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




ERECTED A. D. MDCCCLXXXII. 

Br THE 

POCUMTUCK VALLEY 

MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION: 

m HONOR OF THE PIONEERS 

OF THIS VALLEY. BY WHOSE COURAGE 

AND ENERGY. FAITH AND FORTITUDE 

THE SAVAGE WAS EXPELLED 

AND THE WILDERNESS SUBDUED; 

AND TO P£BP£TUAT£ THE REMEMBKANCE 

OF THE SUFFERINGS AT DEERFIELD, 

FEB. 29, 1703-4, 

Xl^HEN BEFORE THE SHEAK Of DAY. S40 ffiEMCH AMD IHDIANSX 

JUNDER THE SfEUR HERTEL DE ROUVILLE, 

JSWARMING IN OVER THE PALISADES ON THE DRIfTEO SNOW.| 

ISURPRISED AND SACKED THE SLEEPING TOWN, 

AND KILLED OR CAPTURED 

THE GREATER PART OF ITS INHABITANTS. 

On Inhlit. „r ,"!,<■, hn„,l 

r^rordtd „< In, > ,i,,<l >,,.,,„,, /.y their- I,,,,!,;,). 

art th, .»:/.>//> ,u,<l JOf S of fh(,~, 

,/ho /o-f r/,cr l„,s ,„ th, n^.cmlt 

„r ui-r, ^l,„„ „„ tl„ „„n,lo,f.. 



CENTRAL MURAL^TABLET 



[24] 



MEMORIAL ROOM 



'Ifi,;,,^ -; |iJ| 

is. 

w , 5 i J 5 « I - ... ^ 



[£5] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




STEPHEN WILLIAMS 



[26] 



DOMESTIC ROOM 



John, late Bishop of Connecticut; and many 
others of local origin, and of local or wider 
fame. 



DOMESTIC ROOM 

East of Memorial Room is an apartment 
devoted to the display of domestic implements 
for the making of yarn, thread, and woolen 
and linen cloth. For the latter, the material 
and the instruments to manipulate it are all 
here, from the rotted flax to the finished 
product of the loom. The same was true of 
the woolen, but on account of moths it has 
been found inconvenient to keep on hand the 
raw material or the finished fabric. Here are 
the Flaxbreak, Swingling Board, and Swing- 
ling Knife; the Coarse and Fine Hatchels, 
Cards, Little Wheel, Quill Wheel, Reel, 
Swifts, Bobbins, Skarne, Warping Bars; Reed, 
Harness, Quills, Shuttle, and Loom. Be- 
sides these there is also a modern machine for 
spinning, a link in the evolution of the power 
machinery in the factory. On the platform is 
a unique Flax Wheel made for spinning two 
threads at once. 



27] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




[28] 



DOMESTIC ROOM 



'a«i2^ 








UNU)l L 1 LAX WHEEL 



[29] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

LIBRARY 

(Open on Special Application) 

Occupying two rooms on the same floor to 
the west is the Library. This contains about 
16,000 titles. The collection is largely made 
up from the remains of the local ''Social," 
''Agricultural," "Military," and "Union" 
libraries of the eighteenth century, as shown 
by their bookplates. These were " Company" 
affairs, broken up and scattered amongst the 
shareholders, now gathered in, from closet and 
garret, where they had been stranded in the 
deluge of later literature as being old fashioned 
and too hard for modern digestion. There 
are, however, many of the English classics in 
history, poetry, biography, travels; and gen- 
eral literature of the eighteenth and the early 
nineteenth century. They bear the thumb 
marks of the reader, and often evidence of 
the tallow dip, and the midnight oil. 

As for local matter it appears safe to say 
that our library has not its equal in Massa- 
chusetts west of Boston, and comparatively 
few can match it in books of historical and 
genealogical reference. Here is a long list of 
school books, from 1661 to 1850, showing the 
inevitable wear and tear of schoolboy usage. 
Of theological works there is no end. If one 
is profound enough, he can here discover the 
fine points on which the old worthies disputed 
with such hot and pious zeal, even to the fagot, 
[30] 



LIBRARY 




pin 



((ill yu, 



.» ». > foccajrr 



/£^ 






UtStlK^^ 



Hk 



-9^ 



AUTOGRAPH OF JOHN WILLIAMS 

[31] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

when the power lay behind either of them. 
Nobody will read them any more save the 
historical student seeking the trend of the 
road, and the broken shackles of the grosser 
superstition left by the wayside in the onward 
march toward ultimate liberty of thought. 
We keep these works as curiosities, as we do 
the stone axe, the long-handled frying-pan, 
the tinder box, the tithingman's rod, and 
the leather breeches. 

Old Account Books of farmers, traders, and 
craftsmen, crammed with material for the 
study of local life and habits in days lang syne, 
may here be found. Our many thousand 
pieces of manuscript are not yet catalogued, 
and are not available for use except by spe- 
cial arrangement. Some of the most rare 
historical papers, however, are shown under 
glass on the walls. Among these are Auto- 
graphs of Governor Andros, 1686; several 
men of Dedham, 1671; General Gookin, 1664; 
Colonel Pynchon, 1665; Ezekiel Cheever, 
1665; and Parson John Williams, March 24, 
1712-13. This is a deed to John Sheldon 
of one-half of two islands in the Connecticut 
river, granted to Mr. Williams by the Gen- 
eral Court. His wife, Abigail, makes her 
mark, but we have her autograph in 1729; 
also the autograph of John Williams's daugh- 
ter Esther, 1707, and son Stephen, 1733. Be- 
sides these there are autographs of Col. John 
Stoddard, 1729; Governor Belcher, 1740; 
[32] 



LIBRARY 




TREASON OF ARNOLD 



[33] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

Governor Hutchinson, 1749; Governor Ber- 
nard, 1761; Paul Revere, 1765; many men of 
Hatfield, 1774; John Hancock, 1785; Samuel 
Adams, 1799. 

Other papers are two Deeds signed by 
Pocumtuck Indians 1667; official paper relat- 
ing to Hadley, 1661; part of plan of Deerfield 
Street, original survey, 1671; an Orderly Book 
used at West Point, containing the announce- 
ment by Washington that " Treason of the 
Blaclx'est Die was yesterday discovered.'' It 
was the attempt of Arnold to sell West Point 
to the British, September '-25, 1780. 

The Deerfield Alcove. — In the Annex, one of 
the alcoves is devoted to books and other 
literature by natives or residents of Deerfield. 
Additions are invited from those entitled to 
representation therein. 

Of modern works, the "Soldiers and Sailors 
of Massachusetts ' in the Revolutionary War, 
will be found a most convenient place to seek 
credentials for membership in the patriotic 
societies. 

MAIN HALL 

This Hall is up one flight from the Memorial 
Room. Here are shown an almost endless 
variety of relics and curiosities, connected with 
the historic past. Prominent and noteworthy, 
at the head of the stairs, is the 

Revolutionary Group, a realistic exhibition. 
[34] 



MAIN HALL 




[35] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

Near the center is the bold signature of bold 
John Hancock, which "John Bull could read 
without spectacles." It was written Julyl, 
1775, while he was President of the Continen- 
tal Congress, and is affixed to the delayed 
commission, appointing Joseph Stebbins a 
captain in the New Continental Army. Steb- 
bins had actually held this office on Bunker 
Hill, June 17th, two weeks before. At the left 
hangs his business-like Sword which is flanked 
by that of his lieutenant, John Bard well. 
Here are Muskets, which on the same occa- 
sion sent the leaden hail into the ranks of the 
advancing Red Coats and taught the proud 
Briton the power of a freeman's hand. Face 
to face with these are mementos of the great 
victory at Saratoga, where the haughty Bur- 
goyne-laid down his sword at the feet of an 
aroused yeomanry; English and Hessian Mus- 
kets ; Ammunition Boxes and other fixtures for 
Cannon. A fragment of a Silk Crimson Ban- 
ner, which appears to have been divided 
among the captors; a Linen Towel, and a 
Brass Candlestick; the three probably from 
the headquarters of the commander. Con- 
trasting with this English flag, is a fragment 
of a homemade Continental Flag, of linen with 
red flannel stars, which saw service in the 
regiment of Col. Hugh Maxwell. Here is a 
Watch, which bears upon its face evidence of 
the friendly relation of France to the United 
States during the Revolution. Instead of the 
[36] 



MAIN HALL 

usual figures marking tlie hours from one to 
twelve, we see the twelve letters comprising 
the w^ord Independence. The watch was made 
in France for the American market, and this 
specimen was a gift from a citizen of Ashta- 
bula, Ohio, a descendant of John Stebbins 
(one of the captive boys of 1704), and a hero 
of the great Civil War. 

Here also are Autographs of Revolutionary 
soldiers; Paul Revere's picture of the Boston 
Massacre, and a score of other articles recall- 
ing this period. 

Next beyond are some remains of the Deer- 
field Meetinghouse built by the town for the 
Redeemed Captive in 1729, and some of the 
brass works of the Old Clock placed in the 
steeple in 1744. Appliances for personal use 
lie scattered about. A table near by shows 
the everyday Shoes of ''Uncle Sid," a great 
variety of Leather and Wooden Shoes, and 
some Shoemaker's Tools. One table is oc- 
cupied with a set of Cooper's Implements, 
another with a multiplicity of old Carpenter's 
Tools, which moderns like to contrast with 
their own, and other mechanical appliances. 
Hanging in a line above, are x\gricultural 
Implements from the Azores, for comparison 
with the exhibit of those used by our fore- 
fathers. Notable are the Wooden Plows and 
Shovels, and the varying patterns of the 
Skepe or Corn Fan upon the walls. The 
Saddler's Kit, the Saddles, the Saddle Bags, 
[37] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

the Portmanteaus, and the Bridles, strongly 
suggest the old mode of traveling, and this is 
emphasized by the collection of Tavern Signs 
of the eighteenth century here displayed. 
There are also two beautiful examples of old 
Side Saddles; one, owned bv Marv (Hoyt) 
Williams of Deerfield, 1760-1821;^ another, 
owned by Keziah (Plympton) Harding, 1740, 
a descendant of the unfortunate Sergt. John 
Plympton, one of the first settlers of Deerfield, 
which remained in this family for 166 years. 
Continuing we face an ancient Chest and 
Drawers marked S. AY., said to be Susanna 
White of the Mayfloiver, ornamented by paint- 
ing instead of the usual carving. This came 
down in the White family with an interesting 
history. Near by is an Astronomical Instru- 
ment made and used by President Edward 
Hitchcock, and also his Surveying Apparatus. 

Here are Bricks from old houses; one ob- 
tained at York, Maine, from a house built 
in 1630, and another, a sun-dried brick from 
Salem, dating back to 1667. Here for special 
reasons are placed Fossil Animals from the 
West, and unique Claystones from the Con- 
necticut valley. 

Case A is devoted to old Costumes, Cocked 
Hats, long Stockings, Knee Breeches, ''and 
all that." 

Case B is occupied for the same purpose. 
Here may be seen a Brocade Wedding Gown 
of 1785; a Boy's Suit worn in 1784, a Red 
[38] 



MAIN HALL 

Ridinghood Cloak; a Woman's Cloak of 1766, 
from Vermont; and the small Gown made for 
''Little Mary" Hawks. 

Case C contains the remnants of a museum 
which was established in the Deerfield Acad- 
emy at its very beginning, 1799, and which 
came to us with the building; to this some 
miscellaneous matter has since been added. 
The museum was originally made up from 
articles obtained by travelers and sea captains, 
from the Indies, and the far-off islands of the 
sea. The Chinese Pagoda "made of boiled 
rice" was considered by us boys as the eighth 
''wonder of the world;" and Ave revelled in 
the strange garments, utensils, and weapons 
of the tropics and the Cannibal Islands. This 
was largely a loan collection, and it was 
broken up by the recall of the most valuable 
relics about 1840. In view of this example, 
our Association adopted the rule that every ar- 
ticle placed here must be a gift, and not a loan. 

Case D. — On one shelf are some Fossils 
similar to those of Avhich we have already 
spoken. Here are collections of Coins and 
Medals, rare Pitchers, Dishes, and Plates, 
many of them of historic interest. The top 
shelf is devoted to Pumpkin Hoods, Calashes, 
and other quaint bonnets. Queer old Band- 
boxes, in which this head gear was kept, are 
on the top of this case. One of these is of 
birch bark. 

Case E is crowded with a rare collection of 
[39] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




[40] 



MAIN HALL 

miscellanies; among them exquisite pieces of 
Glass and China, Lowestoft, and other table 
ware, Mahogany Castor, Pocket Nutmeg 
Graters, Patch Boxes for l)eauty spots, a Gold 
Locket and Miniature (Philadelphia, 1831). 
Below are seen a Wedding Ring, Sleeve 
Buttons, Needle-book of Diana (Hinsdale) 
Dwight, married 1774; homemade Linen, 
1754, 1761, 1774; Cowhide Baby Shoes, 1767, 
and a Buckskin Wedding Glove of the baby's 
father; grown-up Shoes worn by "Little 
Mary" Hawks; Silver and Ebony Hat Pins 
of the eighteenth century, the counterpart of 
those of 1908; Tortoise Shell Combs, and 
scores of articles of local and general interest. 

Case F. — ^This case contains a collection of 
rare Mugs, Pitchers, and Cups; also articles 
from the glass works of Warwick, 1812. 
Here, too, is the Pitch Pipe of Justin Hitch- 
cock, 1752-1822, used in leading the choir. 
There are also a large number of relics of 
historic objects and places; wood from the 
Charter Oak, Boston Elm, and Old Iron- 
sides; also interesting old Snuff Boxes. On 
the north side of Case F are Wedding Slippers, 
Spectacles, and Barlow Jack Knives galore. 

The small Bell near the stairway was taken 
from the bell tower of this building, where it 
was used by the Deerfield Academy for school 
purposes. Near by is an elaborately carved 
Bridal Chest from England, some three hun- 
dred years old. It was used for generations 

[41] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

in the Old Indian House. Hanging above this 
is the huge Camp Kettle of Maj. John Burk, 
used in the campaigns of the French and In- 
dian Wars. 

On the south wall opposite is a Pew Door 
taken from the "Old Ship" in Hingham, in 
1873. This meetinghouse was built in 1681, 
and is the oldest in the country which has been 




BONNETS AND BANDBOXES 

in continuous occupation down to the present 
day. It had a new floor and new pews in 
1873. Below this is a Highboy which be- 
longed to Dr. Elihu Ashley, who was married 
in 1775. It is not unlikely that this came 
down from his father, Jonathan Ashley, the 
second minister of Deerfield. 

Case G contains an incomplete Hookah — - 
[42] 



MAIN HALL 

an elaborate Pipe handsomely inlaid with 
silver, originally from the East, and later a 
part of the old museum. Here, also, are brass 
and silver-plated Knee and Shoe Buckles of 
various design ; brass Candlesticks, 1780-1830, 
and Scales for weighing gold and silver coin, 
1752 or earlier. 




ENGLISH BRIDAL CHEST, ABOUT 1600 

Case I appears on the right as we pass to 
the west; it is the old Buffet taken in 1878 
from the house built for Parson Williams by 
the town in 1707. (It may here be noted that 
this is the only article in the Hall which is not 
a gift to the Association.) Its semicircular 
shelves hold an assortment of rare old China. 
Several pieces are from the household service 
[43] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




BUFFET FROM THE HOUSE OF JOHN WILLIAMS 



[44] 



MAIN HALL 

of Roger Newton, the second minister of 
Greenfield, settled in 1761, and there are 
pieces from the family of Joseph Warren of 
Bunker Hill fame; others were owned by 
Gov. Levi Lincoln; others long in use in the 
Old Indian House. Some are Willow^ Ware, 
some Wedgwood, some Delft. 

Near this Buffet is a gilt-framed Mirror 
with curious ornaments. It was given by 
Col. David Field to his daughter Filana on 
her marriage to ''Uncle Sid" about 1785. 
Below this is a fine specimen of the Chest and 
Drawers, bearing the Scotch thistle carved on 
the front. According to a tradition in the 
Kenny family in which it came down, this 
chest was brought from Scotland by an an- 
cestor about 1675. The Grate in the fireplace 
was taken from the Parson Williams house, 
w^hen it was removed to its present site in 1878. 
Good specimens of brass Andirons are here 
displayed. Close at hand is what remains of 
a Spinet made about 1750, and owned by 
Miss Susan Barker, of Hingham; near it is a 
Piano of London make. This was brought to 
Deerfield in 1808, by Mrs. Susan (Barker) 
Wlllard, and was the first instrument of its 
kind in this region. Standing between the 
two instruments above named, is a quaint 
Bureau which belonged to Persis Hoyt, who 
was born and brought up in the Old Indian 
House, and who married John Sheldon in 1769. 
Case K resting upon this bureau is filled with 
[45] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




[46] 



NEEDLEWORK ROOM 



a choice selection of China, etc., from the 
Sheldon family. On the walls about hang life- 
sized Silhouettes and old-fashioned Prints. 

Case J is mostly occupied by old Teapots 
and Sugar Bowls; some interesting from age, 
and others by reason of peculiar color and 
construction. 

Case H contains about a hundred articles 
of pewter and earthenware; among these are 
Tankards and other vessels of pewter for the 
Communion Service; a Platter said by the 
donor to be about 500 years old, and a variety 
of dishes. On the wall hard by are rare old 
Umbrellas and Parasols; a Bass Viol made in 
Deerfield by Justin Hitchcock, about 1775, 
and used in the Sunday choir. A late musical 
authoritv says it is probably the first made in 
America. Here is a Parlor Organ built in 
Winchester, N. H., about 1820, one of the 
earliest built in this country. 

To the west is the 

NEEDLEWORK ROOM 

Notable among the articles hanging on the 
walls are the specimens of Embroidery by our 
grandmothers. Several of these were wrought 
by those who were pupils of Deerfield Acad- 
emy in this very building, 1799-1810. Land- 
scapes in colored silk are found here, with 
blue trees, pink and crimson cows, and yellow 
water,— the pride of parents and grandpar- 
ents, the finishing touch to the ornamental 
[47] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

education of the daughters of Deerfield and 
the gentry of the surrounding towns. 

Here also are the Samplers, the task and the 
delight of "Mary Aged 9," and "Abigail 
Aged 11," and their compeers. In these was 
foreshadowed the day of all days, the wedding 
day, — for were not these letters to be repro- 
duced in marking the finished outfit, after the 
girls had spun, woven, bleached, and fash- 
ioned their linen for the needs of the new 
household ? Thus every stitch was linked to 
their day dreams of the coming prince, and 
their castles in Spain. Under glass upon the 
wall are two exquisite specimens of domestic 
patience and industry, one a Black Lace Veil 
(one-quarter of which is shown) wrought by a 
farmer's wife some seventy years ago, chiefly 
by the light of a single tallow dip, after the 
household duties of the day were done (the 
illustration shows the veil entire) ; the other a 
large White Lace Shawl embroidered by a 
Philadelphia schoolmarm during intervals of 
leisure, about 1839. 

In one case may be seen part of a set of Bed 
Hangings, that masterpiece in blue and white, 
by the hand of Lucy Lane, a century before the 
present Deerfield Society of Blue and White 
Needlework had earned its widespread fame. 
This society in fact received its first inspira- 
tion and its name from this very article. In 
this room are also shown Bead-work, Fruit 
and Flower pieces on velvet, and a great 
[48] 



NEEDLEWORK ROOM 




LACE VEIL 



[49 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

variety of embroidery, notably a homespun, 
finely wrought family Christening Robe. The 
infants have grown old and have turned to 
dust, but the handiwork of the loving mother 
is as perfect as when first glorified by the 
precious little lump of humanity. 

Adjoining is a small hall, called the Ante- 
room, little used at present; but here is a case 
containing a collection of fragments of sculp- 
tured Marbles from various ruined cities in 
Turkey and Asia Minor; a "Lily Chest," an 
album and an applique Bedquilt, and Quilt- 
ing Bars. Opening from this hall is the 

BED ROOM 

The most prominent article is a high Post 
or Tent Bedstead, of the last half of the 
eighteenth century; its hangings and furnish- 
ings correspond in age. It was part of a 
bridal outfit in 1810, but went out of fashion 
before 1840. At the left is the Hawks-Wells 
Chest and Drawers, of 1726. This is unique, 
as being, so far as can be learned, the only 
piece with three drawers, discovered and 
figured by the collectors. On the right is the 
Stebbins-Hinsdale Highboy, 1772, of elegant 
proportions and fine workmanship. Between 
these two can be seen the Chest with one 
drawer, which has come down in the Arms 
family, with the tradition that its first owner 
was William Arms, an early settler in Deer- 
[50] 



BED ROOM 




[51] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




UNIQUE CHEST AND DRAWERS 



[52] 



NEWTON ROOM 

field, and the first of his name in the country. 
He was married in 1677. 

From the Anteroom a flight of stairs leads 
down to the 

NEWTON ROOM 

This room is devoted to what our Associa- 
tion secured under the will of Solon L. New- 
ton, of Greenfield, in 1901. Mr. Newton 
spent much time, money, and loving care in 
gathering rare and curious antiques. Here 
are seen choice specimens of Ceramics, odd 
forms of old Pewter and elegant Brasses. 
Several of the pieces Avere valued by Mr. New- 
ton as high as $100.00 each. Of iVndirons, 
Frying-pans, Pots, Kettles, Trivets, and Spi- 
ders there is no end. Two old Fire Frames 
with cranes and interesting features are promi- 
nent. A quaint Corner Cupboard contains 
coarse kitchen ware, Milk Pans, and Stone 
Jars. A Turn-up Table and Spinning Wheel 
are near by. Upon the wall are some curious 
productions. The most notable article of old 
furniture is a carved Jacobean Cabinet over 
300 years old. The articles here named are 
but a few of those on exhibition. 

It is a common remark of tourists that our 
collection of Pewter is not excelled by any in 
the country. We have a total of 345 pieces of 
which 240 are in this room. 

Opening from the Newton Room on the 
right, is the 

[53] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 




FIRE FRAME 



[54] 



NEWTON ROOM 




JACOBEAN CABINET 



[55] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 



MILITARY ROOM 

Here are seen old Flintlock ^Muskets of un- 
definable periods ; the same may be said of the 

old Pistols and 
Swords. There 
are flaskets and 
Knapsacks of the 
War of Impress- 
ment, and other 
military trappings. 
Articles relating to 
the War of Inde- 
pendence we have 
already seen in 
the Revolutionary 
Group in the Main 
Hall. In the glass 
case are other rel- 
ics of the late Civil 
War. Hanging on 
the wall is a me- 
mento of local in- 
terest, the Cedar 
Canteen of J. C. 
Peters, of Alaba- 
ma, a confederate 
soldier of Port 
Hudson, which was bought of him by John 
Barnard, of Deerfield, after the surrender of 
that fortress, July 8, 1863. The Draft Cylinder 
was used in drafting soldiers in the Civil War. 
[56] 




DRAFT CYLINDER 



THE FORT 



The Civil War collection is small. It was 
not through lack of foresight, but the lack of 
room, that we did not solicit relics relating to 
this period. Now we invite, and shall welcome 
and care for, all contributions to this depart- 
ment. 

Winding stairs from the Newton Room lead 
down to the door of the 

COUNCIL ROOM 
Here are held the business meetings of the 
Association. The room contains an antique 
Mahogany Desk and a few pieces of ancient 
furniture. On the walls hang prints and 
paintings worthv of note; two of the latter are 
from an ancient Mission in Mexico, age and 
artist unknown. Another is of Boston Harbor, 
which is bad enough to be really good; note 
the bending trees on the Mill Dam, and the 
ships under full sail, each regardless of the 
other, or the ways of the wind. This Panel 
was taken from over the fireplace, when the 
old Burk Fort in Bernardston was demolished. 
Here also is a Panel with a series of old 
English sporting scenes by the celebrated 
Hollar, 1607-77, original prints of the period. 
East of the Council Room is a large apart- 
ment called 

THE FORT 
Although this room contains a miscellaneous 
collection, it must have a specific name, ihe 
[57] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

Fort was suggested by the most impressive ob- 
jects in the room, which are some twenty 
memorials of frontier forts of the French and 
Indian Wars; and it was emphasized by the 




BOTTLE FROM PALISADE OF DEERFIELD FORT 



old Pocumtuck Cannon which stands guard at 
the exit into the Vestibule. 

The relief which brings us most closely in 
touch with the events of Februarv 29, 1704, is 

[58] 



THE FORT 



the Drinking Bottle made from fragments of 
the old stockade used in fortifying Deerfield. 
Here is a piece of the door of Fort Saw telle, 
at Vernon, Vt., built 1740; timber from Fort 
Lucas, Colrain, 1744, and a Mattock found 
on the site of this fort; a Panel from the door 
of Taylor's Fort at East Charlemont, 1754, 
and an old Fork from Burk's Fort. A picture 
of the Junkins Garrison House at \ork. Me., 
built before 1675, is framed from the panel 
moulding on one of its doors. Besides these 
there are Bullets from Fort Hill, the site of a 
Pocumtuck Indian Fort, and from the site ot 
the Jonathan Wells Fort. There are plans of 
Fort Dummer and Fort William Henry, ^ylth 
Bullets from the site of the former and a piece 
of wood from the latter. Here, also, is a block 
of wood and the end of a dowel pm from lort 
Shirley, at Heath, built in 1744. 

Wong the miscellaneous articles is the tront 
Door of the Old Smead House, built about 
1710, with block sections of all the timbers m 
its framework. Many relics there are from 
other old houses. Here is a Machine for mak- 
ing corn brooms, not so very old, but out ot 
date, and growing older every day. 1 here is a 
row of Franklin Stoves, coining of late into 
fashion; this row is capped with a Revo ving 
Cooking Stove, of 1835, a great curiosity to 
housekeepers. Near by is a pump and smk 
for the convenience of visitors. An old i:'o^^ - 
dering tub,"— plain pork barrel,— with a lus- 

[ 59 ] 



A GUIDE TO MEMORIAL HALL 

tory and tale of travel, stands near by. It was 
carried by ox-cart from Connecticut through 
Deerfield to Townshend, Yt., by a first settler, 
about 1775. It was in constant use in the 
family with no repairs, until given us in 1874. 
Here is a Traveling Basket, unique so far as 
known. It is in the line of the evolution of 
the *' Saratoga." 

The student of Colonial ways finds a re- 
minder of old times in the top of a Gate Post, 
with an iron hinge hook, on which hung a 
*' great gate" in the line of ''Meadow Fence" 
which guarded the Common Field, now Deer- 
field Meadow. This fence was some ten miles 
long, built to keep out the live stock of the 
settlers, which roved about the surrounding 
woods. Gates, or bars, were erected wherever 
the fence crossed a highway or a private 
entrance. 

Standing near the exit from the Fort is a 
section of timber from the bullet-proof walls 
of Burk's Fort at Fall Town — a realistic relic 
of border warfare. We touch this with grati- 
tude akin to reverence. Eight score years 
agone it redeemed its trust by breasting a 
fierce attack, and standing between the in- 
furiate savage and the settlers at Fall Town 
who had sought its protection. The garrison 
was small, but apparently magnified by a rapid 
fire made possible by the brave women, who 
promptly loaded the empty guns. This rep- 
resentative of the Fort rejoiced with the in- 
[60] 



THE FORT 



mates in the triumph, when the enemy fled and 
its charge was saved. 

The tree from which this timber was hewn 
was doubtless growing when the Maypwer 
anchored at Plymouth. 

Exit into the Vestibule by the fire-proot 

door. 



[61] 




T. MoREY & Son- 
Greenfield, Mass. 



